On March 11, New York City’s Carnegie Hall announced that Newton South High School junior and clarinetist Leila Mostaghimi has been named to the prestigious National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) and will perform this summer along with 96 other student musicians from across the country.
Mostaghimi joins a group of some of the nation’s top student performers, all of whom were selected through a rigorous audition process. This summer, they will travel to New York for an intensive two-week training residency with top orchestral professionals, where they will develop their skills in master classes and workshops. After a performance at Carnegie Hall, the NYO-USA will embark on a European tour, with stops in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Edinburgh.
Their repertoire includes Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal, Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra.
The NYO-USA is organized by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. In a statement, Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director, Clive Gillinson, said that NYO-USA leadership is excited about the future of the program.
“The members of NYO-USA are among the finest players in the country. As they come together this summer, they will learn from a remarkable faculty made up of leading orchestral musicians; form lasting friendships with fellow musicians from across the country, inspiring one another to reach new artistic heights; and perform with leading artists on prestigious stages across Europe,” he said. “While abroad, they’ll serve as wonderful cultural ambassadors for our country, connecting with people through music wherever they go.”
For Mostaghimi, performing music is a meaningful way to communicate with others.
“I love playing music in general because it allows me to express myself and connect with those around me in ways that I think would otherwise not be possible,” she said.
Mostaghimi’s musical journey began at the age of five, when she started playing the piano. Her elementary school band director inspired her to pick up the clarinet two years later. She said that participating in a New England Conservatory program in middle school motivated her to continue developing her clarinet playing at a high level.
“Being around serious musicians who were talented inspired me to become much better and made me realize the true capacity of the instrument,” she said.
Last summer, Mostaghimi played the clarinet in Carnegie Hall’s NYO2 program, which culminated in a performance in Edinburgh. The experience, she said, was amazing — and makes her even more excited about performing with the NYO-USA this summer.
“I am so grateful to have the opportunity to participate in an NYO ensemble again, because it was truly a life-changing experience last summer. It is such a unique experience to be able to collaborate with so many musicians of such a high caliber from all around the country, and it is a very collaborative and supportive environment,” she said.
Ultimately, Mostaghimi said that being selected for the NYO-USA is a true full-circle moment.
“Participating in NYO is something that is a goal for many from early on in their musical journey,” she said. “I remember being a freshman in high school and listening to videos of clarinetists who were accepted into NYO-USA that year and thinking how amazing it would be to have that experience and to play at that level, and I am very grateful to now be on the other end of that exchange.”
Theo Younkin is a Fig City News student reporter, a senior at Newton South High School, and former Co-Editor-in-Chief of the NSHS Lion’s Roar.
...Other News...
